


Nightmare's First Comfort

by Clockwork_Turtle



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition, Solavellan - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Lavellan/Solas Fluff, Solas fluff, Solavellan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-02-20
Packaged: 2018-05-21 23:41:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6062521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clockwork_Turtle/pseuds/Clockwork_Turtle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is my short story for daficswap on Tumblr. It was written for lavellot about her awesome character, ‘Manehn Lavellan. She is such a well-written and developed character and I had so much fun reading through her stories and character information to get to know her better!<br/>If you haven’t read lavellot‘s stories, you should definitely check them out!</p>
<p>The theme was firsts, so I went with a “first comfort after a nightmare” scenario.</p>
<p>Synopsis: After the loss of her clan, ‘Manehn begins to have nightmares about their deaths while out in the field. Solas senses her distress and enters the Fade to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nightmare's First Comfort

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lavellot (brialavellan)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/brialavellan/gifts).



          It had been a long time since ‘Manehn had first been to the perpetually rainy mess of mountains that was The Storm Coast. To say she missed the constant pelt of rain on her skin would be a gross overstatement – while the scenery could be nice from a sheltered place, dragging the Inquisition over steep, rocky, and constantly soaked terrain had the potential to bring out the worst in everyone involved.

          They’d returned to the Storm Coast only briefly to help rescue one of their smaller troupes which had been attacked by Darkspawn.  
Fortunately, they’d been able to find the Sutherland troupe in time to prevent any losses.  
_Unfortunately_ , however, an oncoming storm had waylaid any of their plans to make it out of the Storm Coast (or, more importantly, out of the storm itself) by nightfall. Thinking quickly before the shower became a torrential downpour, ‘Manehn relocated the group to a shallow cave hidden in the side of a nearby mountain to shelter them from the brunt of the storm. Thankfully, the cave was deep enough so that they could huddle away from the mouth and stay dry but shallow enough to discourage bears searching for a home. And what it lacked in depth, it made up for in height – their smaller tents would fit just fine inside if they were close together. Two of the Sutherland crew members were sharing a tent anyway and the rest of the group had crowded their tents into a tight line in the back of the cave.

          As soon as they’d made camp, Bull let out a grunt and leaned against the cold stone of the wall. “Well, at least we don’t have to worry about shelter,” he mumbled.

          “Unless it floods,” Solas remarked, pulling a dry tunic from his pack and tugging off the soaked fabric that clung to his skin. The cold and the rain made him look a little paler than usual, his freckles standing out starkly against his skin.

           Nearby, Varric snorted a laugh and shook his head, having just pitched the tiny tent he used when they camped in caves. “You know what I like about you, Chuckles? Your _boundless optimism_ ,” he grinned, looking over at the elven man.

          Solas huffed out a sharp breath through his nose in a chuckle, setting his soaked clothes before the fire to try. “It’s comforting that whatever qualities I lack you’ll invent for me, Varric,” he replied dryly, beginning to set up his own tent as well.

          Varric chuckled, pausing for a moment to think before replying. “No, really! Why else would an Elven apostate help crazy Chantry folk close a holy in the sky?”

          Nearby, Bull laughed. “He’s got a point there, Solas,” he pointed out, wrestling with his own tent. While Varric, ‘Manehn, and Solas had set theirs up with practiced ease, Bull still struggled with the tight space of the cave and the convoluted fabric of his tent, which never seemed to get folded up properly.

          Having already set up her own tent and changed into dry clothes inside of it, ‘Manehn emerged and gave Bull a long-suffering, playful sigh. “You _**were**_ a mercenary on your own before, right? I’m starting to think Krem always set up your tents for you,” she joked, meandering over to untangle the fabric and set up his tent.

          Bull stood back with a huff, folding his arms. “Most of the time I didn’t have to worry about a cramped cave to pitch it in,” he muttered as she finished the tent, patting his arm.

          Taking out his second pack, he pulled out some rationed jerky and bread that had been packed for the team. “Anyone hungry? It’s not as if we can find some dry wood for a cooking fire at this point.”

* * *

          The afternoon passed slowly into evening and a guard shift was agreed upon for the night. After a few hands of Diamondback (and everyone getting tired of Varric’s winning streak), the group retired to their tents except for ‘Manehn, who’d agreed to take the first watch.      
When Sutherland came to relieve her of her shift, she’d jumped at his hand on her shoulder before wearily dragging herself into her tent. Physically exhausted, she’d fallen asleep almost before her head could hit her pillow…

_The group had just returned to Skyhold when Josephine came running towards the stables calling ‘Manehn’s name, a missive in her trembling hand.  “Inquisitor Lave…’Manehn, I wanted to be the first to tell you…” Josephine’s voice cracked and ‘Manehn noticed for the first time that there were tears in the woman’s eyes._

_Ice had settled in her gut as she reached for the paper, almost snatching it from the woman’s hand. As she read the missive, the words began to blur together as rage and sorrow blossomed in her chest, heavy like red lyrium._

_**…regret to inform you…**_

**_…slew most of the elves within, including all of the Dalish clan…  
           …tragic misunderstanding…_ **

_Tragic misunderstanding. The death of her entire clan had been labelled as if someone had sent the wrong curtain linens to the Winter Palace._

_Clenching her fists, ‘Manehn let out a primal yell of rage and despair as the sky grew dark. Rain began to fall and the rusty smell of blood filled her lungs, overpowering her senses. Opening her eyes, she found herself kneeling among the broken bodies of her clan. The once-vibrant eyes of her young sister peered at her from the cobblestones as she gasped for breath, fighting against the growing pool of red that stained her chest. ‘Manehn frantically bolted towards her sister, reaching for her and screaming her name. If she could hold on a little longer…_

_Her scream awakened the bodies around her and their hands attached themselves to her legs like vice grips, holding her fast and dragging her down. Dow past the cobblestones, past the grass, past the dirt and roots – down, down, down. A scream was torn from ‘Manehn’s throat as she clawed for the surface. She had to save her. She had to –_

_“ **Vhenan**!”_

**** _A familiar voice. A familiar hand reaching through to grasp her own, pulling her free of the pit. The hands of the corpses fell away like dead bugs as the ground solidified beneath her feet._

_“ **Wake up**.”_

‘Manehn jerked awake, disoriented as she bolted upright in her sleeping bag. The material had twisted around her while she’d struggled in her sleep and she pushed it back with a frustrated growl, shoving it away as she pulled her knees to her chest. Tremors of anger shook through her as she tried to push the images away from her mind but the terror of the dream was relentless, even upon waking.

           A moment later, there was a brief knock on the wooden tent post before Solas entered, quietly fastening the flaps behind himself. Moving to her side, he gently slid his arm around her shoulders and knees, cradling her protectively against his chest, as if to shut out the world for a while.

           “ _ **Odhea** , vhenan_…” he instructed, gently rubbing her back. “Focus on the sound of the rain, the feel of the fabric beneath your skin. Let it pull you to what is here, now.”

           His words, calm and even, were like a balm to her frayed nerves and she felt something like a barrier wash over them both. While she knew they were in a tent surrounded by other Inquisition members, the extra protection was soothing in a way she knew she didn’t have to put into words.

           Rain had begun to fall again outside and the drops made soothing sounds against the stone floor a few feet away, beating in a rhythm that was accompanied by the steady pulse of Solas’ heartbeat beneath her ear.  
_Breathe in…. Breathe out…_

           Little by little, the tremors subsided until she was able to tilt her face back, meeting Solas’ gaze for the first time. “Thank you.” Her words were soft but not weak, carrying the weight of her gratitude.

           A soft smile tugged at the corner of Solas’ lips and he bent his head down to press a kiss to her temple, softly stroking the tendrils of her hair. Her arms wrapped around his torso in response and a soft hum vibrated in his chest against her ear. “Of course, vhenan. These dreams will pass in time. Your soul was wounded and your mind is compensating until it is healed… And until then, I am here,” he assured her.

           A few more moments passed as the rain became more heavy outside, giving way to thunder that rolled in the distance like waves against the nearby shore. There was a comfort to the sound, at least – like falling asleep against the chest of a humming father. ‘Manehn had almost fallen asleep herself when a question pierced the silence of the tent.

          “Would you like me to remain here tonight?”

           ‘Manehn paused in thought, her fingers still lightly curled into the fabric of Solas’ tunic. Though she knew she could get through the night on her own, having Solas nearby was a reassuring balm on her already frayed nerves. She nodded her head against his chest wordlessly at first before finally speaking. “If you don’t mind.”

          A huff of air came from Solas’ lungs and it took ‘Manehn a moment to realize he’d chuckled. “I do not mind, vhenan. It is why I asked,” he replied, pressing a kiss against her forehead. Shifting beneath her, he moved so that she could lay against her bedroll before he lay beside her, his arm tucked around her waist as he pulled her against his chest.

          “Ame eth I’em, vhenan. Rest now,” he whispered, his voice calm as a wave of protective magic washed over them again.

           ‘Manehn inhaled deeply, the scent of the woods on his clothes soothing her as the beat of his heart lulled her back to sleep. Tilting her head back, she placed a kiss against his jawline, folding her arms against his torso as she tucked herself against his chest.

            _It wasn’t long before the gentle sound of the rain pulled her back toward the Fade. Only this time, instead of storms, blood, and shadows, she walked to the top of a small hill. The hill sat on the edge of a field, lush with green grass. A herd of halla bounded from the field and into a nearby forest as a flock of birds with colors she wasn’t even sure she’d seen before took to the bright sky above._

_At the bottom of a nearby hill, Solas stood and turned toward her, outstretching his hand with an expectant smile._

_“ **Come with me, vhenan!** ”_

_Grinning, she ran down the hill to meet him._

**Author's Note:**

> Elvhen used:
> 
> Odhea – breathe  
> Ame eth I’em – you are safe with me


End file.
